It’s a painless journey from the
airport into town, as there’s a brand new tram which leaves from just outside
the terminal and connects you to the metro network. Toulouse is known as the
Pink City, as most of its buildings are brick, and the historic centre is
sandwiched between the GaronnerRiver, to the west, and the Canal du Midi in the
east. It’s pedestrian friendly, with many streets closed to cars, and nothing
is more than a 20-minute stroll.

To get a flavour of the history, it’s
worth wandering the narrow alleys, keeping your eyes pointed upwards, to take
in centuries of architectural styles. For more focus there’s a handy guide from
the tourist office, called Discovery
Itineraries and each of the five walks takes you past places of interest.
Of course there’s an Art and History tour, but I like Green Toulouse which
takes you past the Canal du Midi, through the Botanical gardens and ends up at
the Natural History Museum.

This is a city designed for the
outside, so restaurant and bars populate the squares, ideal for people-watching
or just taking a refreshing cold drink. Indeed, there’s a nightly ritual here
where aperitifs are consumed between six and nine and then everyone drifts to
the restaurants. As you’d expect duck and all its offshoots are a mainstay of
the menus and best of all the frites are always homemade – even better they
advertise that they’ll refill your plate if you want more. If you’ve had your
fill of confit, foie gras and magret de canard then there are a huge number of
Indian restaurants, fortunately none of them offering Duck Tikka. Lebanese and
Turkish cafés also make their presence felt, and the standard is remarkably
high.

Art lovers can browse the Toulouse
Lautrecs in the Musee des Augustins, a converted 14th-century monastery, or wander
across the river to sample modern art housed aptly in Les
Abattoirs, previously the public
slaughterhouse. Saint Étienne cathedral is well worth a look, but the strangest
sight is the Black Madonna in Notre Dame de la Dourade Basilica. Her ornate
dress changes, depending on the religious season, and, in previous times, pregnant
women could borrow her belt, a charm supposedly ensuring a painless delivery. Most
spectacular is the UNESCO site of Saint Sernin, one of the largest Romanesque
churches in Europe, a major stop on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route.

Toulouse is where Airbus assembles
its planes and there are guided visits to the assembly line for the mighty
Airbus 380. It’s a bit of a trek involving metro, tram and then a 20-minute
walk, but well worth it. You start at the new Aeroscopia
Flight Museum and you’re bussed
across to the giant hanger where the planes are put together. They arrive here
in bits but it only takes around eight days to assemble them using over 19
thousand rivets. From the viewing platform I see five planes in various states
of construction and the list price, without engines or internal décor is a cool
428 million dollars. Oh, and you’ll have to wait two years for delivery.

The museum has a couple of
Concordes, one of which you can go inside, last used by former President
Giscard d’Estaing, and decked out accordingly. Next to it are an Airbus A330B
and a reconstructed Bleriot monoplane. There are also fighter planes including
a MIG-15, F-1046 Starfighter and a German Messerschmitt BF-109, all restored to
their previous state. Most impressive is the large wide-bodied Super Guppy
cargo plane, whose huge nose swings open to allow it to transport oversize
freight. All these planes have been collected by a group of former airbus
employees and you can spot the rest of their collection just across the road,
exposed to the elements and desperately looking for a home.

Back in the centre, the Capitole,
with its distinctive neo-classical façade, houses City Hall and dominates the
square of the same name. The major shopping streets, home to all major brands,
lead off to the south, with narrow alleys leading to tiny squares with their
own clutch of cafes and restaurants. It’s worth visiting Galeries Lafayette and
climbing to the top floor where there’s a great view over the rooftops. If
you’re in town on Saturday morning there’s an interesting flea market around Saint
Sernin, where you can pick up all sorts of bargains, before enjoying a
leisurely lunch.

Toulouse is definitely a place to
linger, and it’s a shame that most people only see the airport, so next time
you’re passing through allow a few extra days to soak up the atmosphere.

Rupert Parker is writer, photographer, cameraman and
TV Producer. Although his special interest is food and travel, he writes about
everything from wilderness adventure to gourmet spa tours. His articles appear,
not only in national newspapers and magazines, but also on global websites and
appeal to young and old alike. Read about his latest adventures on his website Planet Appetite and follow him
on Twitter @planetappetite.